Posts from the ‘Mark Knopfler’ Category

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Mark Freuder Knopfler (born 12 August 1949) is a British singer, songwriter, guitarist, record producer and film score composer. He is best known as the lead guitarist, lead singer and songwriter for the rock band Dire Straits, which he co-founded with his younger brother, David Knopfler, in 1977.

Dire Straits leader Mark Knopfler‘s intricate, introspective finger-picked guitar stylings make a perfect musical complement to the wistful tone of Bill Forsyth’s comedy film, Local Hero. This album was billed as a Knopfler solo album rather than an original soundtrack album, with the notation “music … for the film.” Knopfler brings along Dire Straits associates Alan Clark (keyboards) and John Illsley (bass), plus session aces like saxophonist Mike Brecker, vibes player Mike Mainieri, and drummers Steve Jordan and Terry Williams. The low-key music picks up traces of Scottish music, but most of it just sounds like Dire Straits doing instrumentals, especially the recurring theme, one of Knopfler‘s more memorable melodies. Gerry Rafferty (remember him from “Baker Street”?) sings the one vocal selection, “That’s the Way It Always Starts.”

The Local Hero album was recorded in 1982 at The Power Station in New York, and Eden Studios in London.[4] The Ceilidh scenes were recorded at Hilton Women’s Royal Institute Hall near Banff, Scotland on 19 June 1982.

Side one
1. The Rocks and the Water (3:30)
2. Wild Theme (3:40)
3. Freeway Flyer (1:50)
4. Boomtown (Variation Louis’ Favourite) (4:10)
5. The Way It Always Starts (sung by Gerry Rafferty) (4:08)
6. The Rocks and the Thunder (0:40)
7. The Ceilidh and the Northern Lights (4:07)